Driving a stolen vehicle? You might want to avoid doing anything, no matter how minor, that attracts police attention.
In late August one of our new recruits and their Field Training Officer were doing proactive patrols and observed a motorcycle travelling down 80th Ave. The driver backed up, and waived police in front of him.
“While courteous driving is always appreciated, our officers didn’t get the impression that this was the likely aim. So the officers passed the driver, circled back and found the same motorcycle, and ran the license plate. It came back as stolen,” says Inspector Guy Leeson, head of DPD Patrol Services.
Meanwhile the motorcycle driver, who was accompanied by a passenger, turned on 75A Ave, and the officers activated their emergency equipment to initiate a traffic stop.
However, the motorcycle driver didn’t stop and instead accelerated, swerving around vehicles stopped at the intersection, then lost control, laying the bike down on its side.
Both the driver and passenger were taken into custody. An ambulance was requested for the passenger who indicated they had suffered injuries. Emergency Health Services also examined the driver roadside and determined he was okay. The hospital later determined the passenger had only very minor injuries.
During the arrest police located identity documents that had been left in a vehicle stolen days earlier in Delta, along with other stolen IDs, and a variety of tools.
39-year-old Jason Allan GROSS, of Chilliwack, BC, is facing six charges in relation to this matter:
- Possession of stolen property – a Yamaha street motorcycle
- Possession of a stolen license plate
- Possession of stolen identity documents
- Dangerous driving
- Failing to stop for police
- Possession of motor vehicle break in tools
“As is often the way, sometimes a relatively minor incident can lead to a more significant investigation,” says Insp. Leeson. “That’s why we try to make sure our front line officers have plenty of time to do proactive patrols.”
GROSS is currently in custody, and his next court appearance is scheduled for September 13, 2021.